Package-handling valve for steam-tight chambers.



A. R. THOMPSON.

PACKAGE HANDLING VALVE FOR STEAM TI'GHT CHAMBERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR-16, 19l5.

:Iamntvd J 11110 27, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. R. IHOMPSON. PACKAGE HANDLING VALVE FOR STEAM TIGHT CHAMBERS.

APPLICATIQN FILED AFR. I6, 1915. V Iatentvd unv 27, 1914 lq1889581 HEE-T T 2 WITED STATES PATENT series.

ALBERT R.' THOMPSON, OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ANDERSON- BARNGROVER MFG. CQ., OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

PACKAGEHANDLING-VALVE FOR STEAM-TIGHT CHAMBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 27, 1916.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial No. 21,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT R. THoIuP- soN, a citizen of the United States, residlng at San Jose, in the county of Santa Clara chambers or compartments to and from which packages are admitted and discharged, the function of said valves being to admit and discharge the packages without permitting the escape or loss of the steam or other fluid to which the goods are subjected within said chamber. The most common application of these devices or valves is to chambers containing steam, such,

for example, as cookers used in the canning art, and they are especially desirable and necessary in machines of this type in which the cooking is due to steam under pressure.

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple, effective and economical package-handling valve for steamtight chambers; and to this end my invention consists in the novel device for this purpose which I shall now fully describe by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my packagehandling valve. Fig. 2 is a section on the line az-m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end view of the device. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views showing the several positions of the opposing pistons.

For convenience I shall herein describe my invention in terms of what is known in the canning art as cookers, and the pack ages to be handled as cans, though it is to be understood that my device is applicable to any chamber, the processing medium in which is any fluid, and the material received and discharged is any form of package.

1 is the box or casing of the cooker and 2 is a connection to supply it with steam. The package opening 3 of the box, from its position here shown, is a can inlet, though in another position and arrangement it could be the can outlet. For illustration, however, I shall describe it as th can-inlet.

4 is a cylinder, from the side of which extends a tight runway 5, the foot 6 of which is secured to the cooker box 1, in such position that the lower end of said runway communicates with the box through the cannlet 3. The upper end of the runway communicates with the cylinder 4 through a port 7 in. the side of the cylinder. Extending from the other side of the cylinder is a chute 8, the lower end of which communicates with said cylinder through a port 9, vwhich is out of line with the port 7 being to one side thereof, as is shown. Bolted to end lugs 10 on the side of the cylinder nearest the box are the brackets 11, one at each end. Each of these brackets carries a pairof guide rolls 12, one above and one below. ivlthin the cylinder are the steam tight pistons l3 and 14. The piston 13, the one at the left, has a bar 13' which is guided between one pair of guide rolls 12, and the piston H, on the right, has a. bar 14 which is guided between the other pair of rolls 12. Secured to end lugs 15 on the side of the cylinder are brackets 16 which carry the cam shaft 17.

Upon the cam shaft, at the left, is carried a cam 18; and another cam 19 is carried by said shaft at the right. A stud 20 on the piston-bar 13 plays in the cam 18, and a stud 21 on the piston bar 14 plays in the cam 19. These cams have shapes which can best be expressed in terms of function and effect, as will now be understood by a de scription of the operation of the device, given in connection with Figs. 4 to 7.

The rotation of the cam shaft 17, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, will cause the cams to move the pistons back and forth. Vhen the pistons are in the position indicated in Fig. 4, they are separated by afspace about equal to and in line with the 'port 9 in the cylinder, and the piston 13 covers the cylinder port 7, so thatno steam can escape from the box 1, through the closed runway 5. A can, now rolled down the chute 8, will enter the cylinder 4, through the port 9, and will lie between the tWo pistons' Both pistons now move over to .the left, carrying the can between them, until said can is alined with the cylinder port 7, with the pistons lying on each side of said port, as is shown in Fig. 5. In this position the piston 14: covers the port 9. The can then rolls through the port 7, into and through the closed runway 5, and through comprisin the inlet 3 into the box 1. Now, while the piston 14% remains at rest in the position last mentioned, for a'brief moment, the piston 13 moves forward toward the piston 14, thereby forcing the steam. back from between the two pistons into the runway until, as shown in Fig. 6, the faces of the two pistons about meet, and the port 7 is closed.

Then both pistons move together to the right, until the piston 13 reaches the near line of the port 9 where it stops, while the piston 14- continues to move to the right to the far line of the port 9, thus reaching the position shown in Fig. 7, which is a repetition of that shown in l ig. igand, a second. can will now be received in the space between the two pistons; whereupon the operation is repeated; Thus the cans are fed to the cooker without the loss of any steam, a result which, though important, has heretofore been difficult of accomplishment, es pecially where, as is now deemed good practice, the steam in the box is under pressure.

I claim l. A packagerhandl-mg valve for steamtight chambers, comprising a cylinder having a package inlet port and having also a package outlet port out of line with the inlet port, said package outlet port having a tight communication with the steam-tight chamber; a pair of opposing steam tight pistons mounted Within the cylinder, and having a range of movement adapting them, one to control one of said cylinder ports, and the other to control the other cylinder port; and means for operating said pistons to move them in unison from a position in which their adjacent faces are separate in paclcigoreceiving relation with the inlet port and in which one of said pistons closes the outlet port, through a range which effects the closing of the inlet'port by the second piston prior to the opening of the outlet port by thei'irst piston, to a position in paclmge-delivery relation with said outlet port to then approach their adjacent faces in order to close the space between them and thereby force the steam from said space back through the outlet port and to close said port prior to the opening of the inlet port, and finally to return them to their first position in separated package1'eceiviiig relation with the inlet port.

2. A package-handling valve for steamtight chambers, comprising a cylinder having a package inlet port. and having also a package outlet port out of line with the inlet port, said package outlet port having a tight communication with the steam-tight chamber; a pair of opposing pistons mounted within the cylinder, and having a range of move as, pting them, one to control one of said cylinder ports and the other to tontrol the other cylinder port; and means a pair of cams and connections for operating said pistons to separate them in alinement with the inlet port in order to receive a package between them, to carry the package between them into alinement with the outlet port and deliver it thereto, to then approach their adjacent faces in order to close the space between them and thereby force the steam from said space back through the outlet port, and finally to return to their first position in alinement with the inlet port.

A package-handling valve for steamtight chambers, comprising a cylinder having a package inlet port and having also a package outlet port out of line with the inlet port, said package outlet port having a tight communication with the steamtightchamher; a pair of opposing pistons mounted within the cylinder, and having a range of movement adapting them, one to control one of said cylinder ports, and the other to control the other cylinder port; and means comprising a piston-bar carried by each piston, a rotating shaft, a pair of cams carried by the shaft and a stud on each piston-bar coacting with its respective cam for operating said pistons to separate them in alinenient with the inlet port in order to receive a package between them, to carry the package between them into alinement with the outlet port and deliver it thereto, 'to then approach their adjacent faces in order to close the space between them and thereby force the steam from said space back through the outlet port, and finally to return to their first position in alinement with the inlet port. I

4.4%, package handling valve for steam tight chambers comprising a cylinder having a package inlet port and having also a package outlet port out of line with inlet port, said package outlet port having a tight communication with the steam tight chamber, a pair of opposing steam tight pistons mounted within the cylinder and having a range of movement adapting them to receive a package at the inlet port between their adjacent faces and carry it into alinement with the outlet port, and deliver it thereto, to then approach their adjacent faces in order to close the space between them, and thereby force the steam from said space back through the outlet port and. finally to return to their first position in alinemcnt with the inlet port, said pistons in all positions'closing communication between the'cylin'i'lcr ports irrespective of the package. v Y

A package handling valve for steam tightchambers comprising a cylinder having a package inlet, port and also a package outlet port, out of line with the inlet port, said outlet port having a tight communi cation with the steam tightchamber, a pair of steam tight pistons mounted in said cyl- 'inder, and adapted to control its ports; and

means for operating said pistons both in unison and with relation to each other, to re-. ccivc a package from the inlet port between their: adjacent faces, to carry and deliver it to the outlet port, to displace the steam from between them, and then return them to their normal position, said pistons in all positions closing connnunication between the cylinder ports irrespective of the package.

6. A package handling valve for steam tight chambers comprising a cylinder having a package inlet port and also a package outlet port out of line with the inlet port, said outlet port having a tight communication with the steam tight chamber, a pair of opposing steam tight pistons mounted in said cylinder and adapted to control its.

ports, and automatic means for actuating said pistons both in unison and with relation to each other to receive packages lroin the inlet port between their adjacent faces, to

carry and deliver said package to the outlet port, to then approach their adjacent faces pistons in all positions closing comm'unication between the cylinder of the package.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ALBERT R. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

WM. F. Boo'rH, D. B. RICHARDS.

ports irrespective 

